Saturday, November 5, 2016

Bundle of Holding Old School Revival +4 Now Live!

Titles Included in the Starter Collection
Last week, three of the compendia (2013-2015) were selected for inclusion in the "Old School Revival +4" Bundle of Holding project. I accepted the invitation to include the books, as there are far fewer of these titles in circulation when compared to the 2016 Compendium.

While the implied focus of the contest has been towards system neutrality for years, all one must do is roll up its sleeve to see the letters OSR tattooed in makeshift heart on its grizzled forearm.

I think it is appropriate that the entries in these titles are included in this bundle, and I consider it an honor for these works to have been considered.

Go To The Bundle Of Holding Site Here

The upside to all of this is that creators will gain even more exposure for their works, as well as an unexpected source for prize fund revenue opening up hot on the heels of the first submission for the 2017 One Page Dungeon Contest!

The Compendia are included in the Starter Collection for $8.95 which also includes "Deep Carbon Observatory", "The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom", "Castle Gargantua", "Mad Monks of Kwantoom" and the "2014 Dodecahedron Cartographic Review".

Beyond the $8.95 Starter Collection, there is a bonus collection that includes "Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls", "Dwimmermount", "Yoon-Suin", "Misty Isles of the Eld" and the "Chthonic Codex".

The Bonus Collection is currently available when you beat the threshold of $20.20, but this threshhold is slowly rising, so the best time (and value) to grab a bundle is now!

All together, the Starter and Bonus Collections have a retail value of $112.50!

Check It Out!


Sunday, October 30, 2016

First 2017 OPDC submission is in!

This is an image I worked up for the
Dungeon Contest twitter profile, and
is not connected with Dan's entry.
Well, the 2017 OPDC is officially open, being kicked off with a submission from Dan Wiley (Lair of the Mad Alchemist).

Congrats to Dan for being the first to submit an entry (and gain the first listing on dungeoncontest.com).

Dan did a great job following the submission guide, and included the new 140 character description "blurb" describing his creation.

 "A mad alchemist has transformed the burgomaster's daughter into a hideous troll, and the only antidote lies deep in his underground lair."

This addition to the contest submission process was taken directly from a suggestion from a community member on Alex's One Page Dungeon G+ page. I really being able to see a summary of each One Page dungeon written by the creators themselves, and the format lends itself to twitter as well.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Now with fewer "Imperial Entanglements"

I have made some changes in the way that I will communicate/ share projects/ etc. going forward. This blog and the DungeonContest.com website will only contain information about dungeon contest related things/ products.

All Shattered Pike Studio projects that are not directly related to the One Page Dungeon Contest will live on a separate website once I build it.

G+ posts from the "Dungeon Contest" account will also be strictly limited to "Dungeon Contest" content. I have redesigned the Icon so that it does not include "Shattered Pike Studio"  I have also removed any posts referencing non-compendium related materials. This holds true for blog posts as well.

After taking over on the role of facilitator/ creator of compendiums I reskinned my website to accommodate the One Page Dungeon Contest, pushing all other projects to other pages aside from those annoying "fly in" cartoons I was experimenting with.

Anything I work on that is not related to DungeonContest.com is gone, and will soon live at Shatteredpikestudio.com, or shatteredpike.com once I put the site together.

I feel this is necessary, as the "waters" between what I make for my own profit ($159.64 for Waste-land Beasts and my share of The Unearthed Hack), and the One Page Dungeon Compendiums, which I do not profit from, were becoming murky at best.

The Compendiums (print and pdf editions) have generated $2,000.44 after OBS took their cut.
Money from Proof copies of print compendiums, print editions sent to judges, and now web hosting fees have been taken directly from this total. In April, before the contest ends, I will have to pay taxes on the prize fund as well. The total that remains will be split evenly, with half reserved for 2018.

I feel this is necessary as I won't be able to bank on sales from previous editions, as they have dropped off. Creating the earlier editions (2009-2012) will help, but every edition beyond 2015 has not sold very well compared to the later editions, so I do not want to count on getting a large "boost" from older edition sales for 2018.

The sales to date are as follows: (2016 and 2015 were available at pay what you want pricing for a longer than other titles, hence the larger number of copies sold.

2016 PDF Compendium: 2044 copies    $911.95 (($2.24 per PDF) almost half of all revenue)
2016 Print Edition                35 copies    $121.02

2015 PDF Compendium: 1050 copies    $434.43 (($2.42 per PDF) about half as well as 2016)
2015 Print Edition                25 copies    $ 77.88  

2014 PDF Compendium:   377 copies   $189.90  (($1.98 per PDF) about half as well as 2015)
2014 Print Edition               23 copies    $  65.47

2013 PDF Compendium:   250 copies   $143.34  (($1.74 per PDF) not as drastic, but still in decline)
2014 Print Edition                18 copies   $ 56.45

Total sales for September are 132 copies, down from 277 total copies sold in August. The existing books will generate some revenue over the months between now and April 2017, but I expect a steady decline and don't imagine the total to be great.

There were some sales made via Gumroad when I first started publishing the compendiums and had trouble getting them approved on OBS in a timely manner (as an unverified publisher), but Gumroad fees ate that money, and I had to delete the Gumroad account as a result.

I also think it is important that I address the "Spirit" of the contest, and how I do not wish to change it. This is your contest, not mine. It used to be mine, when I was a participant, but it is mine no more.
I'm not going to be a judge, so in the end my opinions don't amount to much anyway. As for my tips for a strong entry, well those are just my opinions, and half of my entries have "failed to impress" so take my advice with a grain of salt I suppose.

The One Page Dungeon Contest has always been a medium for members of the community to share ideas, and a showcase for creativity and creative problem solving. After authoring dozens of "one thing" posts in the past, I know that every entry has something to love. While there are several creators each year that are well known and publish their own works, many of us (myself included when I was a contestant) never get to see our names in print (or PDF). Sure the compendiums keep the contest self-sustaining, but they also give everyone a chance to share what they have made with their family and friends as part of the collected works of some of the most creative minds in the community. I personally always considered it an honor to be in this particular company, and I still do.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

One Page Dungeon Submission Guide

The Submission Guide for the One Page Dungeon Contest is now available as a free download on RPGNOW.

GET IT HERE

In addition to the contest rules I have added some resources, a playable sample dungeon, and a few tips that I think will make for a stronger entry.

Monday, August 1, 2016

All Four Compendiums Now In Print and Bundles

The 2014 and 2015 final print proofs came in, and they are now available at RPGNOW.  I have also put together three bundles, which are linked below.  The bundles prices are discounted to help offset the cost of shipping (a little). 

-Pike

2015 and 2016

SAVE $2

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/189667/2015--2016-One-Page-Dungeon-Contest-Print-Editions-BUNDLE




2014, 2015, 2016

SAVE $4

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/189672/2014-2015-2016-OPDC-Print-Editions-BUNDLE



Friday, July 29, 2016

2013 Print edition wins the race vs 2014 and 2015

The 2013 One Page Dungeon Compendium Print Edition is now availble. It is 80 pages with 72 dungeon/ adventures.
I had intended to release them sequentially, but this little baby was done first.  The other two final proofs should arrive any time, and once they are good  (and they check out) I will create a few bundles on RPGNOW. I can do that now that I am a "verified publisher"! More on bundles later, but if you are interested in buying a print copy, or more than one specifically, wait because the bundles will be a cheaper option.


SURVEY UPDATE:  The sample size is still a bit small at 26 responses  (spread the love/ reshare/ force me to pay the $3 bucks a month to upgrade that survey widget/app) but I really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to give their input.

-Pike




Thursday, July 28, 2016

One Page Dungeon Contest Survey

"Come over here and take the survey and maybe
one day 'Most Charismatic Mutants' will be a thing!"


I have added a survey to the right. Please take a moment to answer these questions and help shape the next One Page Dungeon Contest.  This is the "free version" of this widget, but if I get close to 100 responses then I will upgrade.

-Pike

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Proofs Have Landed







2013 Print Edition Files Uploaded

The cover and interior content files for the 2013 One Page Dungeon Compendium Print Edition have been uploaded to DriveThru.  Now comes the waiting.  Speaking of waiting, the proof copies of the 2015 and 2014 Compendiums have not arrived yet, but they should be here soon.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

72 Dungeons

The 2013 One Page Dungeon Compendium is complete. 72 One Page Dungeons are included, with their orientation (landscape/ portrait) preserved. The PDF is fully bookmarked and hyperlinked.

You can get it now via Gumroad.


The files have been uploaded to DriveThru/ RPGNOW and are awaiting approval (such is the life of an "unverified" publisher)

-Pike


Monday, July 11, 2016

2014 One Page Dungeon Compendium Print Edition is Complete.

Proof copies of both the 2015 and 2014 One Page Dungeon Compendium Print Editions have been ordered.  If all goes well they will both become available at the same time (so far it has taken less than a week to receive proof copies so I am hopeful this process will be a shorter one).

Both books have a ton of entries, with over 200 pages between the two.  Both will sell for $12 via Drivethru/ RPGNOW once they go live.

- Pike


Saturday, July 9, 2016

One Page Dungeon Compendium 2014 Edition is Here!



The 2014 Compendium is complete. The files have been uploaded to DriveThru/ RPGNOW, and the title is already available thru Gumroad.

The PDF contains 109 entries, with their "native orientation" preserved. All entries are bookmarked for ease of navigation, and the winning entry page is now hyperlinked.

I have also incorporated some layout improvements carried over from the print editions I have already created (2016/ 2015).

You can grab a copy now for $2 by clicking the picture, or wait for the title to become available at "pay what you want" pricing via DriveThru/ RPGNOW.

-Pike

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Working on the 2015 Print Edition while waiting for the 2016 proof to arrive. The cover is complete.
-Pike

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Proof Copy Arrived. Print Edition of 2016 Compendium Coming Soon!

The proof copy of the 2016 One Page Dungeon Compendium arrived yesterday! The entries look great, and despite my fears all the text is clear and legible!  I made some minor adjustments to the file and cover, and resubmitted the files. Now I just wait to order a second proof copy. I believe it will be "good to go" once it arrives, and the Product will be available for eleven bucks on DriveThru/ RPGNOW.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

hack vs exploit vs innovation

In the process of setting up the dungeon contest website, I have spent a lot of time looking at One Page Dungeon Contest entries spanning the eight years the contest has been running.

From its inception to the latest iteration (OPDC 2016) I have noticed some trends through the years which have been driven by the creators and the judges' selections.

The contest began with (a comparatively) rigid format, and included templates for both dungeon and hex crawl wilderness maps. Creators soon began to create dungeons that captured the spirit and intent of the templates, but in their own unique format and style.  The templates that were, in part, the impetus for the contest are all but forgotten now.

Creators have shaped and re-shaped the One Page Dungeon format each year, and there have been some truly inspiring layouts and design choices.

One development that I find a bit problematic, perhaps in part due to my 45 year old eyes, is the drastic reduction in font size. Some one page dungeons have managed to cram two or three dungeons worth of content into a single page, and despite attempts by organizers to deter small font sizes, have done well with the judges.

This is conflicting, as technically entries that use very small font sizes for their text have not done anything that is restricted by the contest, and are simply taking advantage of a clever innovation to make a dungeon or adventure more "fleshed out" and content rich.

Unofficially, the "tiny font method" circumvents the design challenge set forth by the contest which is by my estimation the most frustrating and rewarding part of the whole process.

From a practical standpoint, it makes for PDFs that are difficult to read without extensive zooming and panning, and some of the original entry PDFs are sadly unreadable. Random Wizard mentioned to me that there was some demand for print copies, and the problems presented by tiny fonts are further exacerbated in hard copy, although I suppose the old school zoom ( a magnifying glass) could help. Looking over past entries, I can honestly say that I don't think a print version will be possible for every year without omitting entries, or being comfortable with unreadable pages that are the equivalent of a preview jpeg.


I am thinking of a few ways around this. Some of my ideas include establishing a minimum font size as a rule rather than a suggestion, limiting the format options a bit, incorporating a point system into the judging process that penalizes smaller font sizes to a degree that offsets the benefit of gaining a bunch of extra space for content (how the hell do I begin to quantify that?), or imposing a minimum font size but allowing a Double Sided Dungeon format so that a One Page Dungeon technically lives on one page, but makes full use of both sides.

While this last suggestion seems a bit like a concession as I type it, I don't want to limit creativity or innovation, but I do want something that is readable. Entries will be used to create compendiums that are sold online. This is no secret. If entries are unreadable, or the formats are so varied that combining them together in a book leaves oceans of white space and results in further reduction to images (and font size) then who would want them?

The double sided dungeon format would not replace the classic 'single sided" dungeon format, but would offer a second option, and a second category, to the contest. By this line of thinking, I don't feel it would be fair to judge the two formats against one another. Creating a one sided, one page dungeon with the set minimum (readable) font size is less of a design challenge than creating a two sided, one page dungeon with the same minimum font size.

-Pike



Monday, June 20, 2016

One Page Dungeon Compendium 2015 Edition is also here!

The One Page Dungeon Compendium 2015 edition is available at  RPGNOW.

This edition was previously released by Random Wizard, but I have reworked it from scratch.

The orientation of the entries has been preserved, and entries are bookmarked.

All profit from the PDF goes towards the next One Page Dungeon Contest.

It is available for "Pay what you want" pricing, and all profit from the PDF goes towards the next One Page Dungeon.





I continue to work on transferring all of the downloads and assets from Onepagedungeon.info, and the original PDF files will be available soon directly from Dungeoncontest.com.

-Pike

Saturday, June 18, 2016

One Page Dungeon Compendium 2016 "Print On Demand" Progress

"Cover Spread" screenshot for the print edition.
Cover work for a print version of the One Page Dungeon Compendium 2016 is nearly complete.

All of the entries have been entered into Indesign, and I only have a few more pages of credits and Intro text to complete for the interior.

I will be uploading and sending of for a proof copy very soon.
(Update: Files have been uploaded and approved, and I have ordered a proof copy.)



The PDF version of the 2015 One Page Dungeon Compendium is still sitting in limbo at RPGNOW, waiting to be approved before it can be placed on the marketplace.

This will be the case with any titles released in the near future, as my status as a publisher is unverified and I cannot freely make titles public.

I tried to work around this by releasing the compendium on Lulu, but they do not support PDFs with different page orientations, so that was a no go.  For now I will just have to wait until the title is "green-lit" on their end.

-Pike

Monday, June 13, 2016

One Page Dungeon Contest 2016 and Beyond

As weeks go, this one has been a bit surreal. It started with a conversation with Random Wizard while working on the 2016 One Page Dungeon Compendium, where I shared some ideas for the 2017 One Page Dungeon Contest. As the conversation continued, he suggested that I run the contest outright.  I was humbled by the suggestion, but I have to say that I was pretty excited about the prospect as well.

I was first introduced to the contest in 2010 when Random asked me to work on an entry with him, and have been involved ever since as either a participant or by supporting the contest behind the scenes. I am thrilled to take on the role of organizer for the next contest (which may come sooner than April 2017).

My thanks go out to ChattyDM, Chgowiz, Amityville Mike, and Sham for creating and organizing the first contest in 2009, as well as Alex Schroeder and Random Wizard for organizing, expanding, and building a community around the contest over the last seven years!


The following link is for the original 2009 contest announcement by ChattyDM:

New Grand Contest: The One-Page Dungeon!


The contest has a rich tradition of fantastic judges who have dedicated their time pouring over hundreds upon hundreds of entries, and an impressive assortment of sponsors who have helped make the contest (and prizes) possible.

I have been busy completing the 2016 Compendium (as well as the 2015 Compendium) and setting up the website.  I am working with Random Wizard to move all of the resources (images, contest details) over to the new site, and this is definitely a "work in progress".

Once this is complete, I will begin working on setting up the next contest, which I would like to see happen sooner than April 2017.

-Pike






Saturday, June 11, 2016

One Page Dungeon Compendium is Here!

The One Page Dungeon Compendium 2016 edition is complete and now available at Drivethru and RPGNow.

I worked on this with Random Wizard, and did my best to keep the style similar to the previous editions, including a cover image by Michael Richards.

One major change to the format is the orientation of the entries within the compendium. Entries that were submitted in a landscape format are now presented this way in the PDF, as opposed to being turned on their sides.

The PDF is bookmarked for ease of navigation, and the winners who submitted links to their blogs or websites to onepagedungeon.info will find these links have been included in the compendium.

I think that many of the submissions have set a new record for minuscule font sizes. I created the PDF in Indesign using 300 dpi .tif files rendered from the submitted PDF entry files. This has resulted in a rather large file size, but I have optimized a version using Acrobat that weighs in at around 25 megabytes.

The compendium is now on sale at Drivethrurpg and Rpgnow following the "pay what you want" price point as established by Random Wizard with the past compendiums.

All profit from the PDF version of the Compendium will also continue to be used to provide prizes for the next One Page Dungeon Contest, another great tradition started by Random Wizard which has helped the contest become self-sustaining in addition to generous support from the sponsors. 

As much as I hate hearing this phrase at work, "feedback is a gift". I was surprised to discover that only three people posted comments/reviews concerning all of the previous editions of the One Page Dungeon Compendium.  However limited this feedback was, I feel that it has helped make this version more user friendly. It is my sincere hope that I receive more feedback for this edition so that the compendiums can continue to improve and evolve.


- Pike